The Last Stand
by judooncaptain
Summary: AU set during Lost Stars. Thane Kyrell and Ciena Ree reunite during a rebel invasion of the planet Ondeterre, where Ciena leads a garrison struggling to maintain control over a large trade port in the capital Lou.


**The Vigilance**

Admiral Rae Sloane studied the map in front of her. The map was overrun with information and diagrams, most of which were completely useless. What drew her attention, and caused her to frown in disgust, was the increasing rebel presence. It was shown by the red areas on the map and was expanding at an ever increasing rate. Their own forces were in blue, and had decreased dramatically. They were down to just one garrison, left to defend the trade port Lou. Sloane was under no illusions; she knew how important Lou was to the imperial cause. Not only did it supply the Empire with essential materials mined from the planet itself, but it also acted as the central hub for the Empire's trade. It central position made it perfect for two step interplanetary trades. This was somewhere they couldn't afford to lose. Having finished examining the map, she handed the tablet back to her assistant Adea.

"Have we contacted the troops down there? Do we know who is left?"

"I'm afraid we haven't been able to contact anyone since the rebels landed." A communications block. Sloane sighed. Just another problem to add to the list.

"Who's the commanding officer of that garrison?"

"Captain Ciena Ree" That, at least, was some good news. With Ree in charge, the troops stood a much greater chance of holding the rebels off long enough for reinforcements to arrive.

"Send anyone we can spare. Let's hope they can survive until then." Sloane ran a hand through her hair. It was going to be a long wait.

 **Ondeterre**

Commander Tasu trudged through the forest. Bodies lay all around him, rebel and imperial alike. The battle had been long and bloody, with a large mass of casualties on both sides. The imperials had used the trees as cover, forcing Tasu's troops to rush in waves. Most of them were struck down by swarms of imperial lasers, but eventually they broke through. Tasu knew that the Stormtroopers were their enemies, but he still felt a twang of guilt when he saw their bodies. How many of them were just normal citizens that had been called up? How many had been forced to join? They were just following orders, and many of them would've had families. Then again, he reminded himself, so did his troops. And if they succeeded, they could make the galaxy a better place for all families.

"Sir." Jes Andorra, a Twi'lek, limped towards him. Her hands and face were smeared with blood, her clothes were torn. "We've taken the Eastern and Western sectors. All that is left is Lou. According to our reports, there's only a small imperial force defending it."

"Good. Let us take some time to treat our wounded and count our losses. Assemble those who left at Chandria Bridge. We will strike from there."

"Yes sir" With a quick salute Andorra limped back through the forest to gather all of the survivors. At least, Tasu thought, it will all be over soon.

 **Lou**

Ciena bashed the terminal angrily. It had been hours, and still they hadn't managed to break through the rebellion's jamming signal. Without access to off-world communication, they were stranded with no knowledge as to whether they would be receiving help. All that she did know for certain was that she and her squadron were the only ones left. The rebels had made quick progress through Ondeterre, and although they were stalled for a while in the forest, they had now wiped out all other imperial forces. The rebels had begun to gather on the other side of Chandria Bridge. It was only a matter of time before they launched an attack. Ciena knew her squadron well. They were specialist forces, the elite soldiers of the Empire. Well, of what was left of it. But even with their combined skill and expertise, she feared that they might not be able to hold off the rebels for as long as they needed. The rebel force was larger than they had expected. She left the terminal and made her way to the large conference room in the centre of Lou's Senate Building . By the time that she arrived she saw that there was already a heated discussion taking place. Jax, the tactical advisor, was in the middle of an argument with Podior, the team's weapon specialist. They were both pointing at different areas on the holographic map that spread across the table whilst practically shouting at each other.

"Listen Podior, if we can man those two turbolasers we'll have no problem slicing through any form of ground assault across that bridge!"

Podior responded in a frustrated tone, "Those things won't do squat against a rocket or a thermal imploder. Putting men in there is just plain suicide!"

The third member of the discussion, a young Zabrack woman called Zira, put her head in her hands and sighed. Clearly the argument had been going on for a while.

"Enough!" commanded Ciena.

"If you two continue to argue like this then everyone is going to die. If we are to succeed, then we must have order." That silenced them. Sometimes they just needed to be reminded how sever a situation is in order to start thinking straight. Ciena had noticed this a lot recently, especially amongst the younger officers. The order of the Empire was turning to chaos and she wasn't at all happy about it.

"Now," she said calmly as she sat down at the table. "Let's discuss our defence plan in a more structured way." Much to her surprise, it wasn't Jax or Podior that spoke first. Instead, it was Zira who spoke up.

"It would be wrong for us to assume that the rebels will immediately launch a ground assault. By looking at their standard strategies, we should expect a bombing run first."

Podior snorted at the proposal. "Why should we be worried by a worthless bombing run? No explosion can penetrate these walls."

Zira stared straight at Podior. "Your arrogance has left you ignorant. We rebuilt this area after the destruction of the second Death Star. Thanks to limited supplies, this building was made from local materials. A single proton torpedo from a Y-Wing would leave this place a smouldering pile of debris, and we would be dead alongside it."

Podior, defeated, leant back in his chair. He clasped his hands together, unsure of how to respond. There was no arguing with Zira's statement. The Y-Wings posed a great threat. If they didn't find a way to defend themselves against such an attack, then none of them would survive.

 **Chandria Bridge**

Thane watched as the supply ship landed amongst the makeshift tents. And not a moment too soon. There were a large number of wounded soldiers in need of urgent medical attention. The recent push through the forest had been costly. Soldiers had been struck down in huge quantities. Then he noticed Commander Tasu had arrived. Quickly, Thane hurried over to him and gave him a quick salute.

"I heard about the battle sir. How many casualties were there?"

"Too many, I'm afraid. We'll probably never know the true numbers. But once we take Lou it will all be over."

Thane thought about that for a moment. If they win, it might not just be the battle that's over. By cutting the Empire off from such an important trade port, it could end the war itself a lot faster.

"Our informant was able to acquire the list you asked for by the way." That jolted him back to the present. Tasu showed him a datapad.

"A complete list of every officer assigned to Lou." Thane took the datapad that Tasu handed him, thanked him, and then began to scroll through the list. Most of the names he didn't recognise, most likely newly promoted officers that received promotions after the Emperor was killed. However, he stopped at the name Podior. That was someone he did know. An imperial snob. He did have an extensive knowledge of weaponry, but he also had a big mouth, and didn't do frag. He was the perfect metaphor of imperial discrimination. He inherited his post through birth rite, never did any of his own dirty work. Thane would be glad to see him gone from the galaxy. The next name he recognised was Zira. Yes, he knew her. Quiet girl, but very calculating. She would weigh up every situation logically, and her bluntness could be quite scary at times. Then he saw it. The last name on the list was the ground commander. No, it couldn't be. The name read Ciena Ree. Why, by the stars, did it have to be her? The last Thane had heard she was a Captain, what could she possibly be doing with the ground force? But more importantly, what was going to happen to her? Thane's face turned pale just thinking about it. She would never surrender, he knew that much. There would be no honour in that. No. Knowing Ciena, she would fight to her last breath. Even if she did hate the Empire. But would she die here, he hoped not. And worse, Thane thought, he was the one who was supposed to be leading the Y-Wings to bomb her. "You okay Thane? You look awfully pale."

"No sir, I'm fine." He replied, putting on a fake smile.

"So is your strike team ready?"

"Ready and waiting sir."

"Then let's go."

 **The Vigilance**

"Admiral, we have a situation." Adea stood in front of Sloane clutching a datapad. The girl looked out of breath, as if she'd just run the entire the length of the Super Star Destroyer. "What sort of a situation?" asked Sloan, agitated. Instead of explaining, Adea just handed her the datapad. It showed a live feed of the sector not far from their destroyers. A rebel fleet had just jumped out of hyperspace. Quite a huge fleet at that. They had even brought Mon-Calamari cruisers with them. How had the rebels gotten their co-ordinates so quickly? The system had only been chosen hours before departure, it should have given them at least a couple of weeks. But this had only been a few days. Sloane could only think that the rebels must have someone on the inside. Unfortunately, that no longer surprised her. Defection had become much too common recently. Either way, Sloane couldn't afford to worry about that right now. The traitor would be flushed out and dealt with eventually. What she did need to worry about was the immediate threat flashing on her datapad.

"Adea put everyone available onto this. I want to see every TIE in the air."

"Yes admiral." Adea turned to leave, but hesitated for a moment. "What about the reinforcements for Ondeterre?"

"Cancel them, this is too important."

"Yes admiral." With that Adea quickly exited the bridge and went to put Sloane's orders into effect. Sloane lowered herself into the captain's chair. In a way she felt guilty for cancelling Ree's reinforcements. She would just have to hope that Ree could hold off the rebels with whatever and whoever she had left.

 **Lou**

There was a lot of commotion in the Senate Building . Weapons were being checked and re-checked. Tension hung in the air like a bad odour. Everyone could sense the inevitable battle drawing nearer. As Ciena watched she saw people saying their farewells. Even if they won the battle, it had become clear that they would face heavy losses. The plan was simple, they would use the turbolasers as Jax had suggested, but they would put up localised shields to protect them from any explosive barrage. The shields wouldn't be as strong as Ciena would've hoped, but hopefully they would withstand an attack. Other soldiers would be placed strategically throughout the port. That would defend them from any ground assault. For an air assault, well, Ciena wasn't really sure. Zira was apparently building some sort of air defence system, but that's as much detail as she'd cared to go into. Time was limited, and Zira hadn't wanted to waste any with explanations. Whether it will work or not, that's something they'll find out soon enough. If it was successful, then it would be down to the ground troops and turbolasers to halt any attack. In the possibility that the rebels broke through that, then there was the final defence. That was what Ciena was in charge of. In a worst case scenario, everyone would regroup at the Senate Building , leading to close quarter fighting with the rebels. Ciena hoped it wouldn't come to that. Either way it was going to be a tough battle. They were either going to win, or they were going to die. Ciena wouldn't have it any other way.

 **Chandria Bridge**

The squadron of Y-Wings sat in ordered rows at the end of the bridge. The final pre-flight checks were in progress; ammo, fuel, everything they would need. Thane checked his flight suit for the third time. He already knew that everything was fine, but he needed some way to distract himself. He couldn't bear to think about what he was about to do. With every second that passed he became less and less sure of himself. Tasu came up to him then.

"Thane, if your squadron is ready, then the time is now"

"We're ready sir."

"Then good luck out there, and may the force be with you." Whilst Tasu headed back to the main control centre, Thane turned to his Y-Wing. He climbed onto it, opened the hatch, and placed himself into the seat. As he completed the pre-flight checks, he could feel the hum of the engine coursing through his body. Normally he found this experience thrilling, but today he just felt empty. Everything he did felt forced, unnatural, like it was a burden. His heart was screaming at him to turn back, to let someone else do it, to take the responsibility away from him.

"Too late now," he muttered to himself as he and the other pilots took their Y-Wings up into the air. Everyone checked in one by one, and Thane led the group towards the Senate Building . They approached the target fast, and Thane's torpedoes quickly began to lock on to the building. His fingers hovered over the triggers, waiting for the moment to fire. If he was going to do this, he wanted it to be swift. He didn't want Ciena to suffer any more than she had to. He was distracted suddenly by a shout over the comm.

"Enemy signals at mark 7, I can't see them!" The voice was cut off suddenly and Thane saw one of his squadron's blips disappear off his scanners. Soon enough, more enemy signals were flashing all over his scanners. Where were they coming from? The schematics showed no air defences, and they had destroyed the hanger and shuttle bay just the other day. "Evasive manoeuvres!" he yelled over the comm, throwing his own Y-Wing into a violent barrel roll to avoid an incoming missile. Safe for the time being, Thane took a moment to survey the chaos that had erupted in the skies. Projectiles flew through the air, chasing down the Y-Wings. The Y-Wings were slow and hard to manoeuvre; they weren't built for fast paced combat. By contrast, the projectiles were too fast and too nimble. Y-Wings were being struck out of the sky like flies. Thane activated his comlink.

"Full retreat!" Those who were left turned in a frenzy back to Chandria Bridge. As he flew, one of the projectiles ripped through his left engine. Thane lost control of his ship; he had no idea where he was. Grasping the controls in a vain attempt to regain control, Thane spiralled towards the ground.

 **Lou**

Cheers echoed throughout the Senate Building . Most of the Y-wings had been destroyed, and the rest had retreated. Ciena allowed herself a brief smile. By some miracle Zira had been able to create an air defence system. That, at least, was a small victory. However, despite the cheers, the atmosphere was far from joyful. Faces turned grim as soldiers prepared for the ground assault. Ciena completed some last minute checks on her squadron before heading out to the turbolasers. She was shocked to see Podior working on the shields. She'd never seen him do any work before. Her shock must have been evident on her face, for he looked at her quizzically.

"What?" he said. "I do work when it needs to be done." Ciena brushed past the remark.

"So, how are the shields coming along?" Podior continued to fiddle with the wiring as he replied.

"They're working fine. I've been attempting to amplify their strength but there's not much more I can do. I can't promise that they'll last for very long." He shrugged and went back to the wires. Ciena didn't like the uncertainty, but it was a risk she had to take. Even if the shields only worked for a short time, it should be long enough to put off the rebels. Once they saw that their rockets had no effect, they would be forced to attack in waves. Or they would have to go the long way round and attack on the eastern side. Either way, it could just about be enough time for reinforcements to arrive, if they were even coming. Ciena had seen the evil ruthlessness of the Empire first hand. She knew they would leave her squadron to die without a second thought. She just hoped that the port was worth too much for them to do that. Ciena didn't really care much if she lived or died. She hated the Empire, she would be glad to finally escape. But she had a duty to every person in the port with her. Their lives were determined by her decisions, and she'd be damned if she left them to die. The rebels wanted a battle, and she was going to give them one.

 **West of Lou**

Thane pulled himself up from the ground. He'd managed to eject at the last second, escaping the worst of the crash. But the impact had still been strong enough to knock him unconscious. Somehow in the confusion he'd managed to land on the complete other side of the port. His comm was destroyed in the crash so he had no way of contacting anyone. No, he was stranded. However, he was in a very good tactical position. It looked like the Empire hadn't set up any defences on this side of Lou. He could stride in completely undetected. Sure, he was only one person and couldn't take on an entire garrison all by himself. But he didn't need to. All that mattered to him now was Ciena. If he could get into the port, then at least he would have a chance to find her, to get her out. Even if he was captured he would most likely be taken to her. The crash might have just put him in a much better position. He needed to hurry though. Once the rebels attacked the port would be overrun. He would struggle to find Ciena in the chaos, if she even survived the attack. Thane cursed to himself. He shouldn't think like that. He needed to focus on breaking in and finding her, nothing else mattered. He entered the port through one of the abandoned hangars; there wasn't anyone to be seen. Knowing Ciena, she would be located in the main Senate Building , which luckily for him, was situated quite close to this side of the port. He made his way quickly and quietly through the streets. The closer he got to the Senate Building , the more imperials there were for him to avoid. It was taking him a long time as he had to constantly slip into small alleyways which were slowing down his progress dramatically. It would take him a while to reach the building, but he would persist for as long as was necessary.

 **Chandria Bridge**

Rows of soldiers lined up at the edge of Chandria Bridge. Briefings had just taken place about the attack plan for the assault. Their intelligence reports had shown that the bridge was only defended by two turbolasers, flanking either side of the other end of the bridge. The original plan was to storm the bridge and take them out with rockets, taking minimal casualties. However, after the disastrous Y-Wing bombing run they weren't taking any chances. A small group of soldiers with rockets would move up the bridge, careful to avoid detection. They would then launch a barrage of rockets, which would hopefully take the imperials by surprise and destroy the turbolasers. Only then, once the bridge was clear, would Tasu lead a full assault. He would be leading both squadrons into battle. With Thane gone, there had been no-one else to replace him as echo squad leader. Tasu watched silently as the squad slowly made their way up the bridge. It was an agonisingly slow approach, and tension hung in the air. If the squad made any sudden movements and were detected, they would be pulverised immediately by the turbolasers. Eventually, Tasu's datapad bleeped. It was the signal; they were in range. Tasu punched in the command code without hesitation, signalling them to launch the assault. A moment later, he saw multiple rockets launch, bombarding the turbolasers. To his dismay, the layer of smoke cleared to reveal no damage. The lasers had their own personal deflector shields, and they were barely flickering. The rockets hadn't been able to penetrate the shields. Without thinking, Tasu slammed the evacuation signal; desperate to avoid another disastrous loss of life. But, even as he watched the soldiers turn and sprint back down the bridge, he knew it was too late. The two turbolasers swung round, firing multiple green laser bolts towards the squad. Far too many of the fatal shots hit their targets. By the time they reached cover, over half of the squad had been pulverised. Tasu clenched his fists. The Empire had killed far too many good soldiers today. He was going to make them pay. All of them.

 **Lou**

Ciena clapped Podior on the back.

"That was great work. I honestly didn't expect them to hold against the rockets." Podior turned to face her. His face was red and puffy and his brow was drenched in sweat.

"The damned things nearly blew twice during the assault. Anymore rockets and we would have been done." He was right. It was extremely close. Luckily though, the shields had held just long enough for the rebels to believe it was a lost cause. It was quite the gamble, but it had paid off. That was all they needed. One small victory at a time.

"Keep up the good work." With that she clapped him again, before leaving to find Jax. Finally, she found him in the command room. He was in the middle of discussions with a group of soldiers. He noticed her entrance and left the talks immediately.

"We've analysed their attack pattern," he began, knowing exactly what she was going to ask. "It's slightly unusual, not exactly standard rebel procedure. However, they appear to be gathering their forces at the base of Chandria Bridge. We should expect a full ground assault." Ciena frowned, puzzled. Why would they bother to launch an assault whilst the turbolasers were still active? Either they were completely stupid (which she doubted), or they had something else planned.

"Station everyone in their defensive positions. If the rebels do manage to get past those turbolasers, I want everyone ready to defend the base." Jax gave a quick nod, then left to execute the plan.

"And Jax," called Ciena. "Move personnel away from the West side, I want them all in position to face the rebels from the East."

"Yes admiral." He replied, leaving the room. Let the rebels come, thought Ciena, she would be ready for them.

 **Chandria Bridge**

Tasu once again found himself standing at the foot of the bridge, prepared for battle. Flanked by two squads, the grouped hummed with grave anticipation. Everyone there knew that this was it, the final battle that would determine who controls the trade port. Victory was so close, and yet, as Tasu looked at the entire span of the bridge, he realised just how far away it was. His train of thought was interrupted by the familiar hum of Y-Wings in the sky. What was left of the Y-Wing squad flew past them, headed straight towards the two turbolasers that loomed ominously in the distance. Before the turbolasers could react, the bombers unleashed a barrage of proton torpedoes that penetrated the shields and pulverised the lasers. The soldiers cheered in unison, and they charged together across the bridge. With the turbolasers destroyed, the attack no longer seemed as daunting. The port was now vulnerable. Some Stormtroopers lined the edge of the bridge, but they were no match for the wave of determined rebels. They burst into the port, fanning out in all directions. A large group pushed into the main street, but the assault was slowed to a standstill as they faced off against the imperials across the street. Tasu branched off and led a small group down a narrow side street. They wound their way through the maze of streets, slowed only by the scattered imperial forces. Eventually, they emerged by the entrance to the Senate Building. It was heavily guarded. It would take some time to break through, but Tasu and his team were determined.

 **Streets of Lou**

Thane had watched as the Y-Wings bombed the turbolasers. Although pleasing to see, it gave him a renewed sense of urgency. He darted through the narrow streets, one goal in mind. He needed to save Ciena. That meant beating the other rebel forces to the Senate Building . All of the imperial troops had been moved to the East side of the port, so it didn't take long for Thane to reach the entrance. He entered through a side door, and he weaved his way to the centre of the building. It was filled with troopers and officers, but Thane hardly noticed them. Instead, Thane's eyes were drawn to the far corner of the room, where Ciena stood behind a control console. He fought the burning urge to charge into the room, as he'd be gunned down in seconds. He hung back in the doorway, his mind racing through his options. Without warning, the opposite door came crashing down, and rebels poured into the room. They swarmed in, blaster bolts ricocheting off of the walls. Instinctively, Thane ran into the room and vaulted the control panel, launching himself at Ciena. He crashed into her, and they tumbled to the ground.

"Thane?" questioned Ciena, a sudden realisation washing over her. She struggled against him, but Thane pinned her down. He held her there until the deadly bolts finally ceased to fly around the room. He relaxed his arms, sensing it was safe. All of a sudden, Ciena struck out, kneeing Thane in the groin. He crumpled from pain and shock. She pulled him violently off the ground, holding her blaster to his head. Thane cursed to himself. He should have expected this. The rebels in the room were left stunned; none of them were sure what to do.

"Let me leave or I'll shoot," commanded Ciena, sharply thrusting the blaster into Thane's head. Thane shook his head at the soldiers, a clear signal for them not to shoot. Thane knew with reasonable certainty that Ciena wouldn't shoot him, but he also didn't want her to get shot either. She backed up slowly, tugging Thane along with her. Then, she released him and sprinted up the stairs that were behind them. Thane raised his hands to stop the other soldiers from pursuing her.

"I'll sort this," he said, before charging after Ciena.

 **Senate Building**

Ciena stood at the edge of the rooftop, her mind racing. She was being torn apart. One part of her desperately wanted to seize this opportunity, to finally be free of the Empire and to be with Thane. But the other part of her, the part that had always been with her, knew that she couldn't just leave. She had sworn an oath to the Empire, her loyalty was with them. No matter how much she wanted to leave, she could not face the dishonour. That belief was rooted deep within her, and it didn't matter what the other part of her wanted, she could never let go of her past. She could never live with the guilt of the terrible things she had done for the Empire. The people she'd killed, the whole planet of Alderaan, these things could never been forgiven. Then there was Thane. Her heart ached to be with him. He loved her, and she loved him. She longed to fall into his arms, to leave with him, and to have a normal life. But that could never be. She would be taken as a prisoner, paraded around like some show animal. And he would continue to fight for the Rebellion. That wasn't the life she wanted. Sadly, Ciena knew that there was only one way out. One way for her to escape the Empire, to die with honour, and to not be taken prisoner. Thane would just have to come to terms with living without her. She saw he'd been wearing a mourning band. Clearly, he had coped with her death once; hopefully he could do the same again. She upholstered her blaster and turned towards the door. She would force who ever came out of that door to fight her, and then they would have to kill her. Ciena straightened herself as the door was pushed outwards. If she was going to die then she would do so bravely, without tears, and without weakness.

 **The Rooftop**

Thane stepped onto the rooftop, his arms raised. Ciena stood across from him, her blaster pointed directly at him. Determination was set in her eyes. Thane knew what she was doing, and it just made him feel so much worse for her. The Empire had taken the girl he loved and ripped her apart, destroying her innocence and morality. They didn't deserve her loyalty. Yet Thane knew her too well. She couldn't break her oath to the Empire, so she had decided to die for it. It wasn't fair. Her life was so much more valuable than the Empire. The Empire had changed her, she looked thin and tired. But she was still his Ciena, Thane was sure of it. That was why he wasn't going to let her die today. Not for a cause she no longer believed in. He walked slowly towards her, his arms still raised.

"Ciena, you don't have to do this." She shot at the ground in front of him, anger flaring in her eyes.

"I swore an oath! It is my duty to do this. If you come any closer, I will have to shoot you."

"I know you won't do that." Thane continued to walk towards her, his pace remained the same.

"Please," she begged, tears beginning to stream down her face. "I don't want to shoot you."

"Then don't." Thane stopped about a meter away from Ciena. "I can arrange something. We can be together. It doesn't have to end like this." He extended his hand out to her, an offering for her to join him. She hesitated, unsure of what to do. Thane watched as her hatred melted into sorrow and defeat. The blaster fell from her hands, and she collapsed into his arms. Thane held her as she sobbed into his chest. She felt so weak and fragile in his arms, he had never seen her so broken. She looked up at him, and pulled him in for a kiss. As their lips met, memories flooded Thane's mind. Ciena's smile, that wonderful night on Jelucan, then having to leave Ciena forever. Now that he held her again, he never wanted to let go. Their lips parted, and Ciena slid her hands down Thanes body. She grasped one of his hands, removed his blaster from his holster, and placed it in his hand. Then, she gently pushed her body into the barrel of the blaster.

"I'm so sorry Thane." she whispered. "I can't do this." Thane's hands shook but Ciena held them steady. He had honestly thought that they could be together, and now his hopes had been crushed. Ciena's pleas were so persuasive that his finger brushed the trigger, but he couldn't do it.

"I can't kill you Ciena. I won't do it." She nodded slowly in acceptance, and then pushed him away. She didn't need to say anything, he knew what this meant. If he wouldn't kill her, then she wanted him to leave. So he did, walking back towards the door. He pushed it open then paused. He glanced back at Ciena. She had turned around, once again looking out across the city. He realised with a sense of dread that he couldn't just leave her there. So he did the one thing he'd sworn he'd never do.

"Forgive me, Ciena." he whispered, firing a shot from his blaster.

 **Under the Senate Building**

Ciena woke, dazed. Her head was pounding. She pushed herself into an upright position, feeling the cold metal floor under her hands. The room was spinning, and Ciena struggled to remember what happened. She sat for a moment, waiting for her surroundings to come into focus. She was in a cell, one of the ones hidden beneath the Senate Building . Across the room, she saw Thane working on a control console. Seeing him there, it all came flooding back to her. She remembered the rooftop, the kiss, Thane leaving and… And nothing. Thane must have stunned her. It would explain the headache, and the memory loss. A part of her wanted to be angry at Thane, to lash out, but she just couldn't. She was exhausted, both mentally and physically. And, in truth, she realised she didn't really want to die. Instead of calling out to Thane, Ciena just sat, staring aimlessly.

She was dragged back into reality by the thumping of boots on the metal stairway that led down to the cells. Thane left the console, removing his gun from his holster as he did so. Clearly, he was not expecting company. Ciena recognised the man that appeared; he had led the charge on the control room. Fury blazed in his eyes. Thane lowered his weapon; obviously he knew this man as well.

"Why are you protecting this prisoner?" yelled the man.

"Commander, I can explain," Thane began, but he was silenced as the commander shoved him out of the way. Ciena stumbled backwards in her cell as the commander stomped towards her. He unlocked her cell, removing the iron barrier that had stood between them. Still recovering from the effects of the stun, Ciena felt vulnerable.

"You will pay for all the people you've killed," said the man, his voice a low growl. Thane was protesting behind him, but Ciena signalled for him to stop. She needed to face this battle alone, to stand up for herself. Thane understood, and stepped back.

Ciena straightened herself, and replied simply, "You've killed people too. You're just as guilty as me."

The man shouted his response, "I've fought for freedom! The only people I've killed are imperials like you who wish to oppress others through force and fear."

A suppressed anger fumed within Ciena as she shouted back, "Some of those people were my friends. They were good people!" Consumed by hatred, the man struck at Ciena. The blow to the face took Ciena by surprise, and, in her weakened state, she fell backwards.

The man advanced towards her, but Thane was on him instantly. They wrestled with each other, tumbling to the ground. Ciena watched them struggle, powerless to intervene. Thane caught the man in the gut, but then the man violently jabbed his throat. Seizing the advantage, the man threw Thane across the room. He crashed into a nearby console, winded. The commander took Thane and dumped him in Ciena's cell, before dragging her out. He then locked the cell door, trapping Thane inside.

Ciena raised her arms defensively as the man advanced on her once again. Ciena had spent her entire life being strong, and standing up to danger. She'd even been ready to end it all earlier that day. But now… Now she had an overwhelming desire to live. And so, for the first time in her life, she begged.

"Please, don't do this." But the man was far too gone to listen to reason. Blood dripped down his face, and there was a madness in his eyes. Animal like, he snarled and lashed out at Ciena. She was pummelled by a steady flow of blows to her arms, her legs, and her face. They just kept coming. At first they hurt, but the more they came, the less she felt. Reality began to gradually fade away. That was, until a blow to the stomach made her shriek out in pain. She crumpled to the ground, her insides throbbing with pain like she'd never felt before. Her cry had been so powerful that it made the man pause, and he stopped hitting her. As she clutched her stomach on the ground, he realised, just as she did, that she wasn't going to make it. He may not have known about her past injury, or the tear that was causing her to bleed out, but he recognised the sight of a dying person. "I guess you'll both die down here," he snarled, before hurrying back up the stairs. Thane knelt on the other side of the cell, cradling Ciena's limp body. She smiled weakly. At least she would die in his arms.

 **Underground Cell Blocks**

Thane and Ciena were trapped in the bunker for hours. They had been keeping Ciena awake by talking. There had been so much to discuss. They had shared stories, discussed life in both the Empire and the Rebellion. It had been awkward at first, but Ciena had quickly opened up. Thane saw her laugh for the first time in years. The Ciena that Thane had feared he'd lost had seemed to come back. Maybe it was just a result of the blood loss, but Thane didn't care. He was just glad to have her back. Thane held her up through the bars of the cell. She felt so fragile, but she was doing a good job of hiding it. He saw her eyed begun to flutter shut.

"Hey, hey, stay with me." He shook her gently, just enough to keep her awake.

"Sorry," she muttered, lifting her head. "I'm just so tired."

"That's okay," he replied, running his hand through her hair. "Just try your best. Help will be here soon, I'm sure of it."

Even now, Ciena didn't fail to mock him. "You said that an hour ago." Her laugh turned into a cough, and when she stopped there was blood in her hand. She looked back up at Thane. "I don't think I have long left. It's alright, really." She stroked Thane's cheek, with a smile that was filled with sadness. "I love you, truly, but I don't have the strength to fight any more." Her eyes drooped and she went limp in Thane's arms. He shook her, shouted at her to wake up, but nothing. He drew her close and listened. She was still breathing, but faintly. She was fading away. Tears streamed down his face as he leant against the bars, clutching her body close. Then he heard the sound of footsteps rushing towards him. He looked up to see rebel troops, his troops. "Thane, we were sent here by Mon Mothma she received your transmission. We know about Ciena, we're going to help her." A group of them dragged Ciena from his arms, slid her onto a med transport, and rushed her away. Another unlocked the door to Thane's cell. They helped him up. He was surprised at how tired he was, and his muscles ached. He was taken back up the Senate Building; Ciena had already been taken into surgery. He wanted to see her, but he was instructed to go and get some rest. Fatigued, he didn't refuse.

 **The Vigilance**

Admiral Sloane stood on the bridge, surveying the aftermath of the battle. Rebel ships were jumping to hyperspace in retreat. They may have amassed a large fleet, but they had still been no match for the might of the Star Destroyers. The majority of the fleet had been wrecked, and Sloane took great pleasure in the victory. She didn't see many these days. As she stood there, Adea came rushing in with a datapad. Her face was grim, a deep frown emphasising her worry. She didn't say a word; none were needed. Instead, she just handed Sloane the datapad. As Sloane looked at the data, she instantly lost the sweet sense of victory. It showed Ondeterre, at least, what was left of it. The entire planet was swarmed with red, including the trade port Lou. The rebels had taken full control. A wave of guilt washed over her. Would the outcome have been the same if she'd sent those reinforcements? Now she would never know. She looked up from the datapad to Adea.

"Any status for survivors? Captain Ree perhaps?"

Adea shook her head. "We have no known survivors. Ree is presumed dead."

It was a shame. Ree was a good fighter, so were a number of the others down there. They died serving the Empire, she wouldn't forget that. Sloane gazed out at the stars. There was much work to be done.


End file.
